AP-National

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Idalia are estimated at between $78 million and $371 million, with producers also suffering widespread damage to such infrastructure as irrigation rigs and fences. That’s according to a preliminary report Thursday from the University of Florida. Predicted losses for livestock

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — State health officials have said that the drinking water at a Minnesota prison is safe after inmate and advocate concerns over the water’s quality prompted a new round of tests. The analysis “did not find indications of a health risk from the drinking water,” according to the report from the Minnesota

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed three top military leaders, filling the posts after monthslong delays and as a Republican senator is still holding up hundreds of other nominations and promotions for senior officers. Thursday afternoon, Gen. Randy George was confirmed as Army Chief of Staff

By RICHA KARMARKAR of Religion News Service On Broome Street, in the heart of Manhattan’s fashionable Soho neighborhood, a Hindu temple dedicated to the elephant-headed deity Ganesha is striving to develop its own sense of cool. Its location allows it to draw guest teachers such as prominent spiritual author Deepak Chopra, and devotees — or

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In a story published September 20, 2023, about an abortion-related ballot question in Ohio, The Associated Press erroneously reported the name of an Ohio Supreme Court Justice. He is Michael Donnelly not John Donnelly.

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Artificial intelligence tools that can conjure whimsical artwork or realistic-looking images from written commands started wowing crowds last year. But most people don’t actually use them at work or home. That could change as leading tech companies are competing to take text-to-image generators mainstream by integrating them into Adobe

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press HARDIN, Mont. (AP) — Kaysera Stops Pretty Places’ death remains unsolved four years after her body was found in a Native American reservation border town. Now her grandmother Yolanda Fraser is using the tragedy to highlight missing and murdered Indigenous peoples across the U.S. The Northern Cheyenne woman says the

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia’s sheriff is disputing a city controller report that determined the sheriff’s office can’t account for 185 guns that the controller’s office says are missing. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said at a news conference Thursday that the controller’s report released this week contained “misleading statements.” Acting City Controller Charles Edacheril said his office

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear declared that now is not the time to “sub out the quarterback” when Kentucky has so much momentum, while Republican challenger Daniel Cameron said he’s the one who can team up with GOP legislators to tackle the state’s nagging problems. The rivals

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A small town on the Texas border declares a state of emergency as tens of thousands of migrants cross the border. The Biden administration grants protection to nearly half a million Venezuelans in the country, giving them the ability to work. This comes after some Democratic mayors

MIAMI (AP) — The National Hurricane Center says a storm off the eastern U.S. will deliver tropical storm conditions to the coast of North Carolina. The storm was forecast to make landfall in North Carolina on Saturday. The center reports the storm, currently designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen, is located located about 330 miles southeast

By LISA MASCARO and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s latest funding plan in ruins and lawmakers leaving town for the weekend, there’s no endgame in sight as hard-right Republicans push dangerously closer to a disruptive federal shutdown. The White House will tell federal agencies on Friday to prepare

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army says Israeli tanks have struck two structures in a demilitarized zone inside Syria. It says the buildings violated a 1974 cease-fire agreement. The army says the Syrian military had been using the buildings in violation of the cease-fire. But it gave no details on what type of structures the

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI Associated Press Security improvements are planned at a jail in Pennsylvania following the brazen escape of a murderer who eluded law enforcement for two weeks before his capture this month. The Chester County prison board unanimously approved plans Wednesday to fully enclose the exercise yards with solid walls and a roof. The

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.N. report says over 1,100 Palestinians have fled their homes in the West Bank since the start of 2022 due to Israeli settler violence. That’s according to a report by the United Nations released on Thursday. U.N. officials say the exodus is unparalleled in recent years.

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy-winning rapper 2 Chainz says his official studio album with Lil Wayne, expectedly titled “COLLEGROVE 2,” will be out before 2023 is over. Chainz says the long-awaited project, a sequel to their 2016 mixtape, is “rapping at a high level — steel sharpens steel.” Various

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters have spent a second full day in talks that could potentially put an end to the nearly five-month dispute that has brought many film and television productions to a halt. Hopes ran high Thursday that a deal might emerge, but no meaningful updates had yet come

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer WWE’s popular television show, “Friday Night Smackdown,” will be moving from Fox to USA Network next year under a new five-year domestic media rights partnership with NBCUniversal. “Smackdown,” a weekly two-hour live program that features wrestlers such as Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair, Rey Mysterio and Bianca Belair, regularly performs

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago officials have signed a nearly $30 million contract with a private security firm to relocate migrants seeking asylum from police stations and the city’s two airports to winterized camps with massive tents before cold weather arrives. GardaWorld Federal Services and a subsidiary sealed the one-year $29.4 million deal with Chicago on

By MUTWIRI MUTUOTA and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Police say banned New Zealand Olympic runner Zane Robertson has been arrested at his home in Kenya over allegations of sexual assault and possession of an unlicensed AK-47 assault rifle. Police obtained a court order to hold Robertson in custody for five days